Lindsey Stirling‘s new music video is a work of art, and now she’s lifting the curtain for her fans.

In a behind-the-scenes video shared exclusively with PEOPLE, the violinist shows off the set of her Alice in Wonderland-themed “Hold My Heart” music video.

“The song is about love from the perspective of the independent woman,” Stirling tells PEOPLE exclusively. “I don’t need a man to pay my bills, help me create opinions and to guide me through life, but I still want a man. It’s the idea that I don’t need a man to take care of me … but I want a man to take care of me. I guess this is why women are so confusing!”

In the video, the classic Alice in Wonderland story is flipped, so “it is actually ‘Alex’ who is following a female rabbit through this adventurous land,” adds Stirling. “I don’t ever preach that women are better than men. No, no, no. We are equals with differences that should be celebrated. I’ve learned in my dating experience that men love to be the hunter, but who’s to say that the rabbit can’t be guiding the chase?”

The star also reveals secrets about her set pieces (the very realistic trees featured in the video are actually hollow!) and shows off her “teacup dance” moves in the video. “I practiced all night,” says Stirling, who adds that “dancing in sawdust” isn’t as easy as it looks. “We’re sliding all over the place. It’s kind of like a messy iceskating rink.”

ZZ Ward — who is featured as the Queen of Hearts in the video — wrote the song with Stirling, and the two were immediately on the same page when it came to their musical collaboration.

“This song is really about being able to be on your own and being okay with it, but also wanting to love … and not needing someone to take care of you,” says Ward in the video. “It’s interesting because Lindsey totally came into the studio that day like a total pro and knew exactly what she wanted.”